Raiders make flurry of Friday free-agency moves

16-03-2019 01:03

The Raiders continued revamping their wide receivers room Friday with the addition of former Cardinals wideout J.J. Nelson, whose 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the 2015 combine stands as the fifth-fastest time in combine history.

Nelson has played for the Cardinals since 2015 and racked up 81 catches for 1,439 yards and 10 touchdowns in four seasons. Last season Nelson played 14 games but only caught seven passes for 64 yards.

His 17.8 yards per reception average rank first in the league since 2015 among receivers with at least 80 catches. Nelson also has five career touchdowns of 30 or more yards and three spanning at least 50 yards.

The Raiders’ top five receivers are currently Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, Seth Roberts, Nelson and Marcell Ateman. Brown, Williams and Nelson have officially signed with the Raiders in the past three days.

Oakland released Jordy Nelson on Thursday to clear cap and cash space, and Roberts could very well be next since his 2019 contract carries no dead money against the cap and would save the Raiders $4.65 million against the cap.

The Raiders also signed free-agent defensive end Josh Mauro. Mauro started his career with the Cardinals, where he played under new Raiders defensive line coach Brentson Buckner. He most recently played for the Giants in 2018 and has three sacks in five seasons.

Mauro is now one of only two defensive ends under contract with the Raiders, along with Arden Key.

The Raiders also announced the re-signings of exclusive rights free agent Jason Cabinda, a linebacker who started three games and played in 10 last season after going undrafted out of Penn State, and offensive guard Chaz Green, who started one game at left guard last season. Cabinda made 21 total tackles and 14 solo tackles during his rookie campaign. Green will provide depth at guard after the Raiders traded Kelechi Osemele to the Jets and the Bills signed Jon Feliciano in free agency.

Jon Gruden has made it clear he’s striving to be like the Kansas City Chiefs, on offense at least, and this draft offers the Raiders a chance to begin closing the monumental gap between these two teams.
Yes, the Raiders need more help on defense than offense, but with four picks among the first 35, general manager Mike Mayock and Gruden can afford to bolster their offense early.
But should those reinforcements come at skill positions, say, in the form of a future featured running back or a slot receiver to complement Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, or a tight end to replace Jared Cook?
As it stands, the Raiders’ No. 1 running back is 26-year-old Isaiah Crowell. They also re-signed Jalen Richard and second-year back Chris Warren figures to factor in after missing his entire rookie season due to injury. Marshawn Lynch, who turned 33 on Monday, has yet to publicly indicate whether he plans to return or retire. Crowell ran for 685 yards and six touchdowns with the Jets last season, Richard tied for the team lead with 68 receptions and Warren showed promise in leading the NFL in preseason rushing yards.
The Raiders’ revamped wide receivers room features Brown, Williams, Marcell Ateman, J.J. Nelson, Dwayne Harris, Ryan Grant, Saeed Blacknall, Rashard Davis, De’Mornay Pierson-El and Keon Hatcher. There’s a steep drop-off after Brown and Williams, and adding a sturdy No. 3 option after cutting Jordy Nelson and Seth Roberts would draw some attention away from Brown and even Williams.
At tight end, the Raiders currently have Darren Waller, Derek Carrier, Lee Smith and Paul Butler. Waller briefly flashed after signing with the Raiders in Week 13 last season, and Gruden has said the 26-year-old will get his chance to shine this season. Cook, who signed with the Saints in free agency, led the Raiders in receiving yards in each of the last two seasons and was the Raiders’ lone Pro Bowler last season after setting career highs in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Given the Raiders’ situation at each of those three positions, here are five offensive skill players they might consider with picks 24, 27 or 35.
Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
The No. 1 running back in the draft and the only one appearing in the first round of some mock drafts, Jacobs could fill the hole left if Lynch chooses to retire. Then again the Raiders like Crowell, who’s only 26 and has a career yards per carry average of 4.3. He averaged 4.8 yards per rush last season with the Jets, and the Raiders’ improved offensive line should lead to similar output. Jacobs ran for 640 yards on 5.3 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns last season (11 rushing, three receiving) while catching 20 passes for 247 yards.
Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
Antonio has already campaigned for his cousin to join him on the Raiders. “Hollywood” Brown is still rehabbing from Lisfranc surgery, the same foot procedure that sidelined Donald Penn from the end of the 2017 season to the middle of 2018 training camp, but he said at the combine he’ll be good to go for rookie mini-camp. Brown caught 75 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns at Oklahoma last season, and the speed that some said would’ve been the best at the combine had he participated would complement his cousin and Williams nicely alongside Derek Carr.
A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
Brown’s college teammate, D.K. Metcalf, is getting all the pre-draft hype because of his eye-popping combine numbers and physical physique, but Brown (who granted, played five more games than Metcalf in 2018) led Ole Miss with 85 catches (59 more than Metcalf), 1,320 receiving yards (751 more than Metcalf) and six touchdown catches (one more than Metcalf). Brown ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the combine, and he too would be a solid No. 3 that might only be a reasonable pick at No. 35.
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N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
Like A.J. Brown, Harry would probably be a reach in the first round. If he falls to 35 and the Raiders pluck him, though, they’d get a big, physical receiver who surprised at the combine by running a 4.53 40 given his size (6-foot-2, 228 pounds). In his final two years at Arizona State, Harry caught 155 passes for 2,230 yards and 17 touchdowns under Herm Edwards.
Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
Fant is the latter of two Iowa tight ends expected to go fairly early, with T.J. Hockenson being the first. Even sharing a field with Hockenson at Iowa, Fant caught 69 passes for 1,013 yards and 18 touchdowns the last two seasons. He’d fill the void left by Cook’s departure, and the Raiders would likely need to take him 24th, if he even makes it that far.

The most relevant team in this year’s NFL Draft resides right here in Oakland, owners of three first-round picks, four in the top 35 and boasting a new general manager who’s flaunted his knowledge during this week for the last 15 years.
Whether that expertise will turn a franchise around stands as one of the most intriguing questions ahead of Thursday night, when the Raiders will (as of now) pick fourth, 24th and 27th, in addition to selecting five times on Friday and Saturday.
Will they pluck an elite defensive lineman at No. 4 overall to help their anemic pass rush? What about that stout middle linebacker they’ve lacked for so long? And there’s no way Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden take a quarterback that early, right?
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the Raiders when it comes to the 2019 NFL Draft, from when exactly they pick to what they need to potential targets at each spot and more.
Happy draft week!
DRAFT INFO
Where: Nashville, Tenn.
When: Round 1: Thursday, April 25 at 5 p.m. PST
Rounds 2 and 3: Friday, April 26 at 4 p.m. PST
Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 27 at 9 a.m. PST
THE PICKS
Round 1: 4, 24 (via Chicago from Khalil Mack trade), 27 (via Dallas from Amari Cooper trade)
Round 2: 35
Round 3: None
Round 4: 106
Round 5: 140 (via Jets from Kelechi Osemele trade)
Round 6: None
Round 7: 218, 235 (via Seattle from Shalom Luani trade)
THE NEEDS
The Raiders’ top five needs (subject to debate) are as follows:
5. Wide receiver
After Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, there’s a sizable drop-off in the Raiders’ wide receivers room. They added J.J. Nelson and Ryan Grant in free agency, re-signed Dwayne Harris and bring back Marcell Ateman for his second season. The Raiders released Jordy Nelson and Seth Roberts, last year’s No. 2 and 3 wideouts, so adding a better No. 3 receiver late in the first round or early in the second that can play both the slot and outside would be wise.
4. Running back
Who knows if Marshawn Lynch returns, and at 33 years old coming off groin surgery that cost him the final 10 games of 2018 the Raiders might not need him. They signed 26-year-old Isaiah Crowell, who averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns for the Jets last season. Jalen Richard is mainly a threat in the passing game and second-year back Chris Warren remains unproven after missing his entire rookie season due to injury (he led the league in preseason rushing yards, though). A first-round potential feature back wouldn’t hurt the Raiders, who finished 25th in the NFL with 101.8 rushing yards per game last season.
Former Alabama running back Josh Jacobs. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
3. Offensive guard
After trading former All Pro left guard Kelechi Osemele to the Jets, the Raiders need to find his replacement. Gabe Jackson can play right or left guard, and the Raiders might switch him to his natural left guard spot to help Kolton Miller if the 2018 first-rounder starts at left tackle over Trent Brown. The Raiders re-signed guard Denzelle Good, who started three games late last season at right guard when Jackson was injured. The Raiders can still upgrade at the guard spot opposite Jackson, and one of their two late first-round picks might be used to do just that given how bad the offensive line was last season. Derek Carr was sacked 51 times, tied for third-most in the league and 15 more times than his 2016 and 2017 sack totals combined.
2. Tight end
Jared Cook was the Raiders’ best player last year, and now he’s a New Orleans Saint. Cook led the Raiders in receiving yards each of the last two seasons, and last season the 10th-year tight end set individual career highs in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns en route to being the team’s only Pro Bowler. The Raiders could go with Darren Waller, who Gruden said will get his chance to shine this season, and they also have blocking tight ends Derek Carrier and Lee Smith on the roster. Drafting a tight end who can catch passes downfield will make Antonio Brown that much more effective by drawing attention away from him, so don’t be surprised if the Raiders explore the position with pick No. 24 or 27.
1. Pass rusher
Duh. You’ve probably heard the stat by now, how the Raiders’ 13 sacks last season were the fewest by any team in a single season since the 2008 Chiefs had 10. There were seven players who had more sacks than the Raiders as a team, and they didn’t do much in free agency to bolster their pass rush besides signing Benson Mayowa, who had four sacks for the Cardinals last year. The Raiders’ pass rush was so bad in 2018 that Mayowa would’ve tied rookie defensive tackle Mo Hurst for the team lead in sacks. Arden Key should make a leap in Year 2, but the Raiders need someone opposite him that can disrupt opposing backfield. Heck, even someone on the interior who can get after the quarterback would be a good pick early.
THE TARGETS
Wide receiver:
Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown – Cousin of Antonio, coming off Lisfranc surgery that sidelined him for combine and Pro Day
Ole Miss’ D.K. Metcalf – Combine freak who insists he’s 100 percent after missing five games last season with a neck injury
Ole Miss’ A.J. Brown – Lesser publicized Ole Miss wideout, but caught 85 passes in 2018 for 1,320 yards, sixth-most in the FBS
Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry – Big body who stands 6-foot-2, 228 pounds and tallied 2,230 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns the last two seasons
D.K. Metcalf ran a 4.33 40, tied for third best among wide receivers at the combine. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Running back:
Alabama’s Josh Jacobs – The clear-cut No. 1 back in the draft and the only one entering Thursday as a potential first-rounder
Offensive guard:
Boston College’s Chris Lindstrom – From Mayock’s alma mater
Kansas State’s Dalton Risner – Got rowdy with Gruden during a drill at the Senior Bowl
Oklahoma’s Cody Ford – Will likely switch from right tackle (his college position) to guard in the NFL
Tight end:
Iowa’s Noah Fant – No. 2 tight end in the draft behind college teammate T.J. Hockenson
Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. – Could sneak his way into first round if Raiders or Patriots are desperate for a tight end replacement and Fant is gone
Pass rusher:
Ohio State’s Nick Bosa – Probably gone by No. 4, so the Raiders would have to trade up to get Joey’s younger brother
Alabama’s Quinnen Williams – Plays on the interior but had 19.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks last season
Kentucky’s Josh Allen – Second in the FBS with 17 sacks last year
Houston’s Ed Oliver – Played defensive tackle in college but quick enough to line up on the edge
Michigan’s Rashan Gary – Sack numbers aren’t good (9.5 in 34 career games) and would probably only be realistic if Raiders traded down
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NEED TO KNOW
– The Raiders have picked fourth overall four times in franchise history. They picked Illinois tackle Joe Rutgens in 1961, Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1998, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in 2008 and Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper in 2015.
– The Raiders only have three first-round picks currently on their roster, safety Karl Joseph (2016), cornerback Gareon Conley (2017) and tackle Kolton Miller (2018). They have six second-round picks, seven third-round picks, seven fourth-round picks, 12 fifth-round picks, four sixth-round picks and three seventh-round picks.
– The Raiders only have five players on their roster drafted by the team before 2017, Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson, Justin Ellis, Karl Joseph and DeAndre Washington.
– The Raiders have taken one defensive lineman in the first round in the last 15 years. His name is Khalil Mack.
– Gruden and Mayock will speak with reporters at the end of the first round on Thursday night. Gruden will speak at the end of the third round on Friday night and Mayock will speak at the end of the seventh round on Saturday afternoon.
Raiders GM Mike Mayock. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
MATT’S MOCK
1. Arizona Cardinals: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
Kliff Kingsbury resists the Kyler Murray temptation, giving Josh Rosen a second chance and taking the best player in the draft.
2. San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
Dee Ford and Bosa off the edge? That’s scary.
3. New York Jets: Josh Allen, edge, Kentucky
The Jets continue their impressive offseason by adding Allen, who trailed only Louisiana Tech’s Jaylon Ferguson in sacks last season.
4. Washington (via trade with Raiders): Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
Mayock’s phone line is buzzing with Murray still on the board. The Raiders miss out on their first three choices, so they find a desperate trade partner in Gruden’s younger brother to move back 11 spots while adding an additional second- and third-round pick, and probably even a 2020 first-rounder. Washington gets its quarterback of the future.
5. Miami Dolphins (via trade with Buccaneers): Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
Expecting the Giants to take Haskins, the Dolphins trade up eight spots to grab their own quarterback of the future.
To see the rest of the first round and predictions for two Raiders second-round picks, read here.

The Raiders have signed former Colts and Washington wide receiver Ryan Grant, the fourth wideout Oakland has signed since the start of the 2019 league year, the team announced Wednesday.
Grant, 28, started 10 games for the Colts last season while catching 35 passes for 334 yards and one touchdown. With Washington from 2014-17, Grant caught 84 passes for 985 yards and six touchdowns.
Grant joins Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and J.J. Nelson as wide receivers to sign with the Raiders since March 13. The Raiders released wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who has since retired, but still have wideout Seth Roberts, who is due $4.45 million in base salary this season and whose cut before June 1 would carry no dead money hit and a cap savings of $4.8 million.
Roberts is one of six Raiders who have been with the team since 2015, along with quarterback Derek Carr, center Rodney Hudson, right guard Gabe Jackson, tight end Lee Smith and defensive tackle Justin Ellis.
The Raiders also have second-year wideouts Marcell Ateman, Saeed Blacknall and Rashard Davis under contract, along with returner/receiver Dwayne Harris and third-year wide receiver Keon Hatcher.
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